This report looks at the factors which contribute to effective self-evaluation. It is based on visits to 12 schools, seven further education colleges and three local authorities where previous inspection reports identified strong practice in this area. The findings are intended to disseminate best practice and to provide help to institutions improve this aspect of their work. The report complements Improving performance through school self-evaluation and improvement planning, published jointly by the DfES and Ofsted in June 2006.

This report will be of particular interest to schools, further education and sixth form colleges, and to local authorities and national bodies.

In 1996 Ofsted published The gender divide which highlighted the gap between the performance of boys and girls. Since then the attainment of boys has continued to lag behind girls. This report follows up some of the issues raised in The gender divide and identifies approaches used to raise boys’ attainment. Yes he can - schools where boys write well reports on writing in English in greater depth.

Local authority youth services are inspected as part of the three-year programme of joint area reviews that began in September 2005. This report provides an overview of their performance in 2005/06. It is set against the backdrop of considerable organisational change in local authorities, and the Government's vision for youth work as set out in Youth matters: next steps. The report draws attention to the factors most likely to secure high quality youth work provision within new and emerging arrangements.